BATON ROUGE - A Louisiana House committee defeated a measure to remove the need for concealed carry permits in Louisiana.

The House criminal justice committee voted down House Bill 494 by Rep. Barry Ivey, R-Central, which would have amended the state constitution to allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon without first getting a permit.

The issue turned into a debate over Second Amendment rights. Ivey said the issue was to correct an infringement on the right to bear arms.

"It's my belief, and I believe the belief of many in this state, that the right shall not be infringed," Ivey said. "We have a right, not only for self defense."

But Rep. Terry Landry, D-New Iberia, the former colonel of State Police, countered with his own interpretation of the Second Amendment.

The committee did approve a measure from Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, which would allow lawmakers to carry concealed weapons the same way judges, district attorneys and justices of the peace are allowed to.

Lawmakers would still need to complete proper permitting and training that peace officers go through before carrying a weapon, and would not be able to bring it into the Capitol. That bill moves on to the House for debate.

In other action, a bill to repeal Louisiana's "stand your ground" law was also voluntarily deferred by its author. Rep. Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans, said he wanted to consult with more people about the measure before bringing it back in front of the Legislature.